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Gender gap closing in engineering

Published: June 28, 2016

Traditionally there has been a shortage of female engineers within the UK employment market, but new figures suggest there has been an improvement in addressing the gender gap.

A study by Jobsite discovered that there has been a rise in the number of women opting for an engineering career.

Figures reveal the number of female engineers in the 20-24 age bracket is now 16 per cent – almost three times the number within the 40-44 age category.

Overall, just nine per cent of the UK’s engineering workforce are female, with a larger percentage of women engineers in lower roles, compared to their male counterparts.

However, women are more optimistic about their future pay rate, with 22 per cent of females expecting a rise in their salary over the coming year, compared to ten per cent of male engineers.

Anna Skelton, senior HR business partner at Jobsite, said: “The gender gap issue in engineering is well-documented, but our research shows the sector is gradually starting to attract more interest from younger generations, indicating a more balanced future for the industry.

“There’s a clearly recognised skill shortage in this sector, and women are opening their eyes to the wealth of lucrative career opportunities engineering can offer.”

She added firms should ensure they are inclusive and focus on recruiting workers who have the right skills, regardless of gender.

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